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Lynae Soderholm
7/31/19
EDU 5313 Enhancing Instruction with Technology
Chapter 8: Concept Mapping

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Graphic organizers are NOT an instructional strategy; they are a tool. Pre-planning is wonderful when you have the opportunity to do it. However, when it becomes teacher-centered rather than reflecting on the effectiveness and adjusting as needed, you are no longer doing right by your students by pre-planning every lesson.

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Graphic organizers are not an instructional strategy because the strategy is what students do to build proficiency. Graphic organizers too often favor recall and definitions, which keep students in Quadrants A & B and don't lead students to Quadrants C & D. When choosing a graphic organizer (to use as a tool), be sure to choose ones that will move your students into developing new skills and offer more than one graphic organizers to your students to allow them to choose which one will benefit their own learning most.

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"Graphic organizers can be great tools--when matched to a strategy and assessed through framework to confirm their use will move students toward an academic goal."

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"Graphic organizers can be great tools--when matched to a strategy and assessed through framework to confirm their use will move students toward an academic goal."

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-Weston Kieschnick

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Concept maps are an instructional strategy. Concept maps allow students to make connections from prior knowledge to current learning by putting them in control rather than restricting them to a specific organizer of defining and recalling basic information. By putting students in control of their graphic through concept mapping, cognition is improved. Concept mapping, partnered with a technology tool, allows students to be more creative in their designing and opens more possibilities than basic graphic organizers can offer.

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"When students are able to connect the new idea you teach them to one they already grasp, they are more likely to comprehend the new information." 

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"When students are able to connect the new idea you teach them to one they already grasp, they are more likely to comprehend the new information." 

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-Weston Kieschnick

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Model the 3 steps of concept mapping as needed until students can complete the steps independently.
1. Start with the main idea.
2. Determine key concepts.
3. Connect concepts by creating linking phrases and words.
After choosing a focus or topic, find and rank key concepts from most inclusive to more specific. After choosing a main idea and ranking the key concepts, add the cross-links to show the connections and relationships to promote comprehension and retention.

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Graphic organizers are not an instructional strategy, but when given more than one option, they can be great tools to support a strategy. Concept mapping, however, is an instructional strategy that is student centered, promotes creativity, comprehension and retention by allowing students to make connections between prior knowledge and current learning.

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Kieschnick, W. (2017).  Bold School.  Rexford, New York: International Center for Leadership in Education, Inc.